Matt Gaetz is in a shitload of trouble and not even Former President Cheesestain will help him

by Therese Odell, posted in Uncategorized

Hi! It’s Tuesday!

All Other TV News

E.R. is going to have a cast reunion for Stars in the House, and yes, George Clooney will be there.

The Nevers was a hit for HBO Max, bringing in more viewers for the premiere than either Lovecraft Country and The Undoing.

An American Idol contestant dropped out of the Top 12 for mysterious personal reasons.

Amazon is launching an official podcast for The Boys second season if you just can’t get enough.

Stephen Colbert has not used Former President Dipshit’s actual name since he started falsely claiming he won the election back in November. Welcome to the club, Stephen!

Don’t put Chris Rock in your prank movie if you don’t want people to realize they’re being pranked by Chris Rock.

The huge mystery of why Paris and Nicky Hilton didn’t want their mother Kathy to join The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has FINALLY been solved.

The CW released their first look at Powerpuff. And by “first look,” I mean a promo picture that tells us very little.

#MeToo

Congressman Matt Gaetz’s problems have not disappeared in the past week: in fact, he appears to be good and truly fucked. Last week, a report came out in The Daily Beast that claimed Gaetz used Venmo to pay for sex with underage girls:

In two late-night Venmo transactions in May 2018, Rep. Matt Gaetz sent his friend, the accused sex trafficker Joel Greenberg, $900. The next morning, over the course of eight minutes, Greenberg used the same app to send three young women varying sums of money. In total, the transactions amounted to $900. The memo field for the first of Gaetz’s transactions to Greenberg was titled “Test.” In the second, the Florida GOP congressman wrote “hit up ___.” But instead of a blank, Gaetz wrote a nickname for one of the recipients. (The Daily Beast is not sharing that nickname because the teenager had only turned 18 less than six months before.) When Greenberg then made his Venmo payments to these three young women, he described the money as being for “Tuition,” “School,” and “School.”

Gaetz and Greenberg are both connected through Venmo to this then 18-year-old woman—who now works in the porn industry, according to a friend of the girl’s…. Greenberg and Gaetz are also connected on Venmo to at least one other woman whom Greenberg paid with taxpayer funds using a government-issued credit card. Seminole County auditors flagged hundreds of those payments as “questioned or unaccounted for,” and in total found more than $300,000 in suspicious or unjustified expenses…. Gaetz and Greenberg share Venmo connections with at least two women who received payments from Greenberg, and both have professional relationships with each other.

Then reports started coming out that Joel Greenberg is likely cooperating with federal prosecutors, and considering he is facing 33 felony charges, Greenberg is well incentivized to start talking. And let me just stress that when people in legal peril begin cooperating with authorities, it’s not to take down little fish like, say, the sex workers involved or the guy who provided the Ecstasy. In short: Matt Gaetz better hire himself a good lawyer.

“I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today,” Greenberg’s attorney told reporters. I AM SURE HE IS NOT.

And it sure sounds like Matt Gaetz had an inkling that he might be in trouble months ago: According to The New York Times, in the final weeks of the Dipshit Presidency, Gaetz asked Former President Sex Crimer for “blanket pre-emptive pardons for himself and unidentified congressional allies for any crimes they may have committed, according to two people told of the discussions.” You know, like an innocent person does.

Clearly, such a pardon was never granted, and, in fact, aside from denying the pardon story — because that’s Former President FAKE NEWS!!1!!!1 knee-jerk reaction to any story about him in The New York Times — the Former Best-Friend-of-Jeffrey-Epstein-in-Chief has otherwise shunned Gaetz. In fact, there are plenty of stories about how aside from Jim Jordan and that lunatic Marjorie Taylor-Greene, no one in the GOP is touching Gaetz with a ten-foot-pole. Gaetz has reportedly personally reached out to the Former President Sex Pig asking for a meeting, but Former President Grimace’s people won’t let him near Gaetz.

Gaetz spoke at a Women for America First event this weekend, which would seem surprising for the group until you’re reminded that they are the organization that was behind the rally on January 6 that led to the storming of the Capitol. Also, Gaetz’s office released a letter defending him from “the women of the office of U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz.” None of these so-called women actually signed said letter.

Oh, and this is just a side note: while I was pulling this together, I was reminded that back in January, Gaetz put out a press release offering to quit Congress so as to defend Former President Insurrectionist in his second impeachment trial. At the time, it felt like weird bluster — why would he have to quit Congress? if the House managers could serve as the prosecution in the impeachment trial without leaving their positions in Congress, couldn’t a Congressman also serve as the defense without having to quit? But now knowing that at the time he put out this press release Gaetz certainly knew the Department of Justice was looking into his relationship with the already federally-indicted Joel Greenberg, suddenly this all makes a LOT more sense.

The woman who first filed a lawsuit against Deshaun Watson came forward revealing her real name. She had originally filed her lawsuit under an alias out of fear of retribution and harassment. Watson has admitted to having sexual relations with some of his accusers but claims it was always consensual. Meanwhile, Nike has suspended their endorsement deal with him.

Harvey Weinstein has been indicted on 11 sexual assault cases in Los Angeles. His lawyer is arguing against extradition to California from the New York prison where he is currently serving a 23-year sentence, claiming that Weinstein is nearly blind, losing his teeth, and suffering cardiac and back issues.

Peter Dunn, President of the CBS Television Stations, and David Friend, Senior Vice President of News for the Stations group have been fired after they were both accused of sexist and racist behavior.

Lance Armstrong’s son, Luke (who is now a 21-year-old Rice University student), has been accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl three years ago when he was 18.

TikTok star Justine Paradise has accused YouTube Star Jake Paul of sexually assaulting her.

Charlene Yi has some things to say about James Franco and Seth Rogen’s enabling of his behavior.

Brooke Baldwin is calling CNN out for gender-pay disparities on her way out the door.

The number of top-performing films featuring a female protagonist dropped from 40% in 2019 to 29% in 2020, marking a decline after two years of positive growth. (That said, 2020 was a WEIRD year for movies thanks to the pandemic, so it’s hard to really say what’s going on here.) The study also reveals some good news: the number of female directors has gone up, as have the number of Black and Latina characters with speaking roles in films. However, the number of female characters over the age of 40 is nearly non-existent: “unless your last name happens to be Street or McDormand, chances are you’re not working much in film,” says the study’s author, Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.

Speaking of, Carrie-Anne Moss was offered the role of a grandmother the same day she turned 40. For fuck’s sake, you guys.

An untouched photo of Khloe Kardashian in a bikini escaped onto the internet and she and her lawyers attempted to claw it back, thereby invoking the Streisand Effect (directing more attention to the very thing you are trying to distract attention from). I, for instance, would not have seen this photo if a story hadn’t erupted around it cause by her attempting to stifle it. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Khloe then released a self-pitying statement about being judged by unrealistic beauty standards. BITCH, I KNOW A KARDASHIAN IS NOT OUT HERE COMPLAINING ABOUT UNREALISTIC BEAUTY STANDARDS. SIT YOUR ASS DOWN.

A reminder that men are sexually harassed and assaulted, too, but are often expected to laugh it off or act as though they are being complimented.

Virginia has become the first Southern state to ban the gay and trans panic defense — the actual defense that says the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity caused the perpetrator to commit the crime against them. YES, THAT IS A THING. And only 12 states have banned it. 12! Which means 38 states say it’s fine to use this as a defense! (Including Texas, obviously.)

Speaking of trans panic, against the advice of physicians and overriding the Governor’s veto, Arkansas passed a law prohibiting doctors from providing gender-confirming medical care to children under 18. Many celebrities have decried the law, including most of the cast of Supergirl. And here in Texas, lawmakers have proposed a bill that would tear trans kids from their families and put them in foster care if they seek gender-confirming medical care. This is hideous.

Going Viral

Today’s big COVID-19 news is that the CDC and the FDA are recommending that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine be put on pause while they investigate a very rare blood clot issue associated with it. There have been 6 instances of women between the ages 18-48 developing dangerous blood clots some two weeks after receiving the vaccine, but this is out of nearly 7 million vaccines that have been administered — so, again, an extremely rare side effect. Still, one woman has died and another is in critical condition, so it is prudent to study the issue.

While this development should be a reassurance that our safety is paramount to the government and the scientists, instead, I worry, this will just give the anti-vaxxers “proof” that the vaccines aren’t safe, and more reasons for the hesitant to avoid being vaccinated. A gentle reminder: both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is probably very safe, too, and the best vaccine to get is the one that is first available.

CNN’s Fared Zakaria’s mother, Fatma Zakaria, has passed away from COVID complications.

Yeah, The Walking Dead didn’t prepare me for a pandemic, either.

Los Angeles’s Arclight theaters are closing and Hollywood folks are freaking out about it.

The Times Square vaccination site for Broadway employees is opening itself up to TV and film production folks, too.

NBC will be broadcasting from an outdoor deck at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

The Met Gala will be held in two parts this year: one in the fall with COVID protocols in place, and one in the spring in the more traditional approach.

Knott’s Berry Farm will reopen on May 6.

Robert Durst’s trial will resume next month after being delayed for a year. Nature is healing.

Renewals

Cancellations

  •  

In Development

Casting News

Mark Your Calendars

  • Army of the Dead will begin streaming on Netflix on May 21.
  • Shrill will return on Hulu on May 7.
  • Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist will debut on Netflix on April 17.
  • Searching for Sheela will debut on Netflix on April 22.
  • Fatma will premiere on Netflix on April 27.
  • Pet Stars will premiere on Netflix on April 30.
  • Exposure will debut on Hulu on April 26.
  • Revealed: The Hunt for Bin Laden will debut on The History Channel on May 2.
  • Set the Record Straight: The Jam Master Jay Case will premiere on ABC station apps on April 15, and Hulu on April 20.
  • The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Pulse – Into The MAGAverse will air on Comedy Central on April 19.
  • Retro Tech premieres on YouTube today.
  • Match Me If You Can will premiere on MTV on April 21.

R.I.P.

Gerren Taylor, Star of Baldwin Hills

Richard Rush, Oscar-nominated writer and director of The Stunt Man

Giannetto De Rossi, Special effects makeup artist

WATCH THIS

The Resident: So, I don’t watch The Resident, all I know is that it is a medical drama. So imagine my confusion upon reading this line in the description of the spring premiere: “Upon hearing surprising news from Princess Nadine, Devon contemplates the future of his love life.” The hell? Spring premiere. 7 p.m., Fox

Big Sky:  In the two-hour spring premiere, Cassie and Jenny have officially teamed up, and that lunatic Ronald is still on the loose. 8 p.m., ABC

Prodigal Son: Because Prodigal Son isn’t campy enough, now we’re adding Alan Cumming to the mix. Spring premiere. 8 p.m., Fox

Our Towns: James and Deborah Fallows tell the story of 8 American towns to explore the American experience as we are living it right now in this new hopefully documentary. Premiere. 8 p.m., HBO

My Love: Six elderly couples from around the world tell the story of their enduring love in this sweet documentary. Premiere. Netflix

Late Night:

  • Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Phoebe Robinson, Celeste
  • Late Night with Seth Meyers: Denis Leary, Cristin Milioti, Patrick Radden Keefe
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Daniel Kaluuya, Lucy Dacus, Taylor Swift
  • The Late Late Show with James Corden: Vanessa Kirby, Darren Criss
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live: John Stamos, Katheryn Winnick, Easy Life
  • The Daily Show: The Daily Social Distancing Show
  • Conan: Jeffrey Dean Morgan
  • Watch What Happens Live: Tiffany Moon, Isaac Mizrahi
  • A Little Late with Lily Singh: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

TUES. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30
ABC Pooch Perfect

(new)		 Big Sky
(new)
CBS NCIS
(repeat)		 FBI
(repeat)		 FBI: Most Wanted
(repeat)
CW The Flash
(new)		 Supergirl
(new)		 Local
FOX The Resident
(new)		 Prodigal Son
(new)		 News/Local
NBC Young Rock
(new)		 Kenan
(new)		 This Is Us
(new)		 New Amsterdam
(new)

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